Properties

Quick and simplified access to properties for all major modeling components

With the increasing number of specialized modeling languages and domain specific modeling constructs, the number and types of specialized properties and settings associated with various elements has dramatically increased over the years. To help modelers exact the maximum benefit from their modeling time, version 14 has brought together all of the various custom settings and properties that any particular element may support and made them available for editing in a vastly updated Properties docked window.

This update includes a wide variety of new custom "sub-panes" that provide detailed configuration settings for the many different kinds of elements and technologies supported by Enterprise Architect.

Elements - Special and advanced properties based on element type

Diagrams - New filtering, meta-model views, access to swimlanes and more

By collecting together the various common and specialized property sheets into the docked Properties window, the modeler now has the opportunity to quickly and accurately set both the common and often used settings together with the more advanced and specific settings that only apply to certain element types. With the inclusion of property settings for relationships and for technologies such as BPMN and SysML, the new property window streamlines model development and ensures the best possible design choices can be made with ease.

To further enhance the experience, the default tab style has changed to a "Pointer" style and is placed at the top of the window. This provides a very clear and easily accessed method for reaching the various property sheets that are active for any given model element type.

Attributes, Operations & ReceptionsA reworked method of working with element features. The core list component of the features dialog has been implemented as a docked window and the actual properties for individual items integrated into the docked Properties window. This provides a more seamless and easily accessed method for editing multiple features and working with operations and receptions.

Interaction Points

Another huge productivity boost is the inclusion of a new "Interaction Points" window in the Attributes, Operations and Receptions window. View, manage, add, remove and generally work with embedded and structural elements that form the primary interaction points of complex, composite elements. Ports, Parts and other special embedded elements are now easier to create and configure. In conjunction with the expanded toolbars for many diagram types to now include these embedded elements as toolbox elements, creating complex designs with Ports and owned Properties is a breeze.

Risk & Effort

New docked window to support display of basic Risk and Effort types and descriptions.

Rules, Constraints, Scenarios

A major new docked window that collects the internal requirements (also called Responsibilities), Constraints and Scenarios for an element, in a convenient and easily accessed form, that encourages easier browsing and editing of various characteristics of an elements responsibilities and behaviors. Replacing the main view "Scenarios" window. It provides a simpler but more effective mechanism to integrate with element behavior. It also integrates with the Element Browser and various diagram level items in behavior compartments.

Relationships

To further enhance the modeling experience, the docked properties window now includes support for Relationship properties. Selecting a relationship in a diagram will allow the modeler to access and configure both common and advanced relationship settings for the currently selected relation.

As an example, modeling state transitions is now much easier with a docked property window tab devoted to setting guard and trigger information. The ability to quickly build accurate simulations and state machines is now greatly enhanced.

Behavioral Elements

The new docked properties window has support for many advanced behavioral features, including where appropriate, element parameters, behaviors, state regions and much more.

Maintenace

Take charge of model based maintenance issues, tasks and changes. A set of new docked windows to support display and edit of maintenance items (change, defect & etc) has been included. Works in conjunction with the docked Maintenance list, the element browser and elements on a diagram displaying their maintenance compartment.

Resource Management

New docked window to support display and edit of Resource allocations for elements. Provides a flexible and common mechanism for updating resources from element browser, diagrams (showing resource compartment) or from the Resource Allocation list. Integrated with Gantt charts.

Diagrams

Diagrams now show a simple properties window when they become the current context item. You can now set a few important properties such as the diagram name easily in this window. It is also possible to select a View (limited toolset and relationship set) dynamically to quickly focus on a modeling intent within the current diagramming context. Commonly used properties have been included to maximize the usefulness of this new window.

SysML

SysML elements now have their element/stereotype specific properties exposed through a custom property sheet designed to provide immediate access to the most relevant and useful SysML properties for the selected element.

XSD

XSD stereotyped elements now support their appropriate configuration dialogs as separate docked window tabs, allowing the modeler to quickly focus on the task of rapidly building accurate XSD models.

Structural Elements

Structural elements are also well represented in the new docked properties window with support for such things as templates and Property configuration details.

Tests

Configure, update and review testing information

Other

Technologies such as ArcGIS also support customized property sheets that allow for rapid and accurate configuration of the most essential domain specific settings that are applicable to an element/stereotype within a technology.